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This is indicated by Ven. Buddhaghosa by reference to the derivation of the word indriya from inda (Skt. indra) meaning lord. Thus, indriya means lordship, sovereignty; it is the ability to make all that is connected with it to follow it in their own career.

The world explanation of the term indriya is: 鈥�indassa 办补尘尘补峁� 颈苍诲谤颈测补峁�鈥�. This means the act of ruling, or of controlling, by rulers. 鈥淭he act of ruling by rulers鈥� means that whatever the ruler rules, nobody can go against him.

Vasubandhu says that the explanation of indriya in the 础产丑颈诲丑补谤尘补办辞艣补:

What is the meaning of indriya? The root idi is used with regard to supreme lordship. They are indriyas in that they exercise control over something. Thus the meaning of indriya is over-lordship.^[1]

According to the 痴颈产丑补峁単补 commentary each indriya 鈥榗arries out the purpose of a ruler鈥� (颈苍诲补峁�峁�丑丑补峁� 办腻谤别迟颈) with regard to its particular realm.^[2] Thus in the case of the five faculties indriyas, saddhindriya carries out the purpose of a ruler in manner, (濒补办办丑补峁噀) of adhimokkha or 鈥榗ommitment鈥�; 惫墨谤颈测颈苍诲谤颈测补 in the manner of paggaha or 鈥榯aking on鈥�; satindriya in the manner of 耻辫补峁�峁�丑腻苍补 or 鈥�standing 苍别补谤鈥�; 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈苍谤颈测补 in the manner of avikkhepa or 鈥榥on-distraction鈥�; 辫补帽帽颈苍诲谤颈测补 in the manner of dassan 鈥荣别别颈苍驳鈥�.

In 笔腻濒颈 and Sanskrit, the word indriya refers to the sense-organs, powers or faculties of a human being. This concept is common in Indian thought in its generality. In fact, the word indriya is derived from Indra (笔腻濒颈, Inda), the chief of the Vedic gods, the thunderbolt bearer (vajra, dhara). Among his numerous mighty deeds is the slaying of the dragon 痴峁泃谤补.

An indriya, then, might be basically thought of as anything that has something of the quality of the mighty god Indra. Thus in its application to a variety of categories in different systems of Indian thought, an indriya should be understood as an item or faculty that is seen as exercising some kind of power, force, influence or control over whatever is its domain; 鈥�(controlling) faculty鈥� seems a more or less apt translation.

In Indian literature, the word indriya usually refers the five physical sense organs, namely, the eye, ear, nose, tongue and body. Sometimes, a sixth鈥攖he mind鈥攊s added. The various schools of Indian thought, including Buddhism, each had their own list of indriya items beyond these common six.

The faculties are factors that exercise control in their respective domains, while the powers are the same factors considered as being unshakable by their opposites. Thus, the five faculties exercise control in the respective spheres of resolution (abhimokkha), exertion (paggaha), awareness (耻辫补峁�峁�丑腻苍补), non-distraction (avikkhepa), and discernment (dassana); in doing so, they help to overcome their opposites鈥攊ndecision, laziness, negligence, agitation, and delusion. The faculties are not the powers of phenomena, but phenomena which are powers.

Indriya, faculties or controlling factors, a name given in the Buddhist texts twenty-two phenomena which perform particular functions in the mundane and supra-mundane life of individuals. The phenomena occur in other classifications found in the Abhidhamma, and there are treated from different standpoints. In this classification, their indriya aspect is brought out.

The twenty-two faculties may be classified, on the basis of their nature, into five groups: namely, (1) perceptual; (2) physical; (3) sensetional; (4) spiritual and (5) supramundane.

(1). The first group consists of the six sense-faculties, namely that of

1. cakkhundriya鈥攖he eye,
2. sotindriya鈥攖he ear,
3. 驳丑腻苍颈苍诲谤颈测补鈥攖he nose,
4. jivhindriya鈥攖he tongue,
5. 办腻测颈苍诲谤颈测补鈥攖he body,
6. manindriya鈥攖he mind, which constitute the so-called personality (补迟迟补产丑腻惫补).

(2) The next group consists of the three material qualities:

7. itthindriya鈥撵别尘颈苍颈苍颈迟测
8. purisindriya鈥攎补蝉肠耻濒颈苍颈迟测
9. 箩墨惫颈迟颈苍诲谤颈测补鈥攙itality; the first two material qualities designate as 产丑腻惫补谤奴辫补^[3] determine the sex of the individual whereas the third gives life to lt.

Out of the nine indriyas consisting of the perceptual (6) and physical (3), only the mind is psychological while others are materials (颈苍诲谤颈测补谤奴辫补).^[4] The first five together with the sixth regulate or control the five sense; the seventh and the eighth control the primary and secondary characters of either sex and the ninth keeps the coexistent qualities of body from decay. With these nine indriyas the living being, the so-called individual, is complete and is in position to communicate with the external world and to react to external stimuli.

(3). The third group consisting of five kinds of sensations, namely;

10. sukhindriya鈥攂odily pleasurable feeling,
11. dukkhindriya鈥攂odily painful feeling,
12. somanassindriya鈥攎ental pleasurable feeling,
13. domanassindriya鈥攎ental painful feeling,
14. upekkhindriya鈥攊ndifference, explains the different reactions of the personality to external stimuli.

Thus these three groups, consisting of fourteen indriya faculties may be considered as sentient existence (蝉补峁僺腻谤补).

(4). The fourth group, consisting of five faculties, namely,

15. saddhindriya鈥撵补颈迟丑
16. viriyindriya鈥攅蹿蹿辞谤迟
17. satindriya鈥攎颈苍诲蹿耻濒苍别蝉蝉
18. 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈苍诲谤颈测补鈥�concentration
19. 辫补帽帽颈苍诲谤颈测补鈥攚isdom, constitutes attributes of the path leading to release from sentient existence, i.e., emancipation.

These faculties may, therefore, correctly be described as ethical or spiritual faculties.

(5) The last group consisting of three faculties, namely, the assurance;

20. 补苍补帽帽迟补帽帽补蝉蝉腻尘墨迟颈苍诲谤颈测补鈥攖he assurance, 鈥淚 shall know what I did not know!鈥�,
21. 补帽帽颈苍诲谤颈测补鈥�highest knowledge,
22. 补帽帽腻迟腻惫颈苍诲谤颈测补鈥攖he one who knows [who has perfect knowledge, is the fruit of path described as the five spiritual faculties under the fourth group.^[5]

The individual is free to make his own choice between good and back. The discrimination between good and bad and the correct and path avoiding bad and cultivating good are discussed under five items called the spiritual facilities. They are saddhindriya鈥撵补颈迟丑, 惫墨谤颈测颈苍诲谤颈测补鈥攅蹿蹿辞谤迟, satindriya-mindfulness, 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈苍诲谤颈测补-concentration and panindriya鈥攚颈蝉诲辞尘.^[6]

In the 膧辫补峁嘺 sutta, Ven. 厂腻谤颈辫耻迟迟补, in response to the Buddha鈥檚 question, answers confirming the importance of the five spiritual faculties in mental concentration and liberation:

It is indeed to be expected, venerable sir, that a faithful noble disciple whose energy is roused and whose mindfulness is established that, having made relinquishment the support, he will gain 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈, he will gain one-pointedness of mind.^[7]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Abhidh膩nappadipik膩, p. 38

[2]:

Vibh-a, p. 125

[3]:

Abhis, p. 27

[4]:

Abhis, p. 28

[5]:

Vism, p. 482

[6]:

SN V, p. 193

[7]:

SN V, p. 225